Footsteps thundered across the hallway. Bags bumped into walls. A suitcase tipped over near the stairs, spilling socks like fleeing mice.

“Did anyone feed Thomas?” Mom shouted.

“I did yesterday!” Dad yelled back.

Thomas stood perfectly still in the living room.

His visor reflected the chaos—humans moving too fast, voices overlapping, heart rates elevated. His internal processor flagged the moment.